Fatty substances soluble in concentrated alkaline baths



Patented Aug. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES P QFFHCE FATTY SUBSTANCES SOLUBLE IN CON- CENTRATED ALKALINE BATHS Switzerland No Drawing; Application September 26, 1933, Serial No. 691,085. In Germany September 2'1,

5 Claims.

It already has been suggested to impart a higher penetrating power to high concentrated alkaline baths, particularly to mercerizlng lyes, by an addition of alcohols, hydrogenized compounds and the 5 like. As far as these substances are insoluble in highly concentrated alkaline lyes, the solution will be attained by mixing them with phenol and the like. The substances hitherto suggested are, however, for the most part of a low molecular nature and consequently they are lacking in the fat-like character which is desirable for the treatment of textiles; they partially produce even a defatting effect and moreover they are volatile. On the other hand it was not practicable to use substances which according to their chemical composition and physical reaction approach the category of fats, because when brought into a highly concentrated solution of caustic soda these plaih or unsubstituted aliphatic high molecular substances remain insoluble even in presence of phenols. Real fat-substances, i. e. aliphatic high molecular bodies having a fatting action, which according to their constitution correspond to the natural fatty acids, could hitherto not be dissolved in such baths.

Now it has been found that, contrary to the normal reaction of the fat-stuffs, the fatty alcohols, which result from the reduction of unsaturated hydroxy fatty acids, particularly of ricinoleic acid or of its esters, especially of castor oil,

are soluble in presence of phenols, cresols, xylenols or of their technical mixtures in highly concentrated alkaline baths, and that they are able to enhance the penetrating power of the baths to an extent unknown up to now; furthermore they are adsorbed by the fibre and impart a beneficial effect to the handle of the material. They are, however, only the unsaturated dihydroxy-substances which possess the said properties. In

saturating the double bond by hydrogenation, the glycols thus resulting are no longer permanently soluble in the alkali lye and impart no beneficial effect.

The unsaturated hydroxy-fatty alcohols are technically easily accessible, for instance by reducing ricinoleic acid by catalytic action or by reducing castor oil according to the method of Bouveault and Blanc. The thus resulting dihydroxy' octadecene, mixed with three or four times the amount of cresol or chlor-cresol, is then capable of being mixed in any desired manner with solutions of caustic soda of any concentration.

For baths which are to contain a lower proportion of fat, say below 1%, cresol mixtures with a higher proportion of cresol are employed in order to obtain permanently clear solutions. These solutions are most valuable not only for 5 textile-chemical purposes but also for etching and pickling purposes in the metallurgical industry and so on. Even with admixtures or very small quantities, they are of a most energetic eifect if used as wetting agents in mercerizationbaths. For instance, a mercerizing bath consisting of a solution of caustic soda of 30 B., after an addition of 0.09% of dihydroxyoctadecene and 1.5% of cresol gives the following shrinkage-numbers (according to Landolt, Melliands Textil- 15 berichte, vol. IX, p. 62/63) in using maco-pearlyarn (maco threads) as material for the test: percentage of shrinking on the whole length 25.0% after 30 seconds, 27.2% after seconds.

Tests made for comparison with known mix- 20 tures employed for the same purposes which are not f at-like show considerably lower numbers with admixtures or equal proportions.

What I claim is:

1. Highly concentrated alkaline treatment- 5 baths, particularly mercerizing lyes with a high penetrating power and with a good fatting capacity, comprising, in combination, highly concentrated aqueous alkaline lyes and a mixture of dihydroxyoctadecene with material of the group consisting of phenols, cresols and xylenols.

2. Highly concentrated alkaline treatmentbaths, particularly mercerizing lyes with a high penetrating power and with a good fatty capacity, comprising, in combination, highly concentrated aqueous alkaline lyes and a mixture of mmdroxyoctadecene with a technical cresol mixture.

3. Highly concentrated alkaline treatmentbaths, particularly mercerizing lyes with a high penetrating power and with a good fatty capacity, comprising, in combination, highly concentrated aqueous alkaline lyes and a mixture of dihydroxyoctadecene with substituted phenols.

4. A combination of highly concentrated aqueous alkaline lyes with a mixture of ricinoieyl alcohol and phenols.

5. An alkaline treatment bath comprising caustic soda together with about 0.09% of dihydroxyoctadecene and about 1.5% of cresol.

RICHARD HUETER. 

